Everyday Ecotech: Thinking Outside the Box

Your challenge for tomorrow: From the time you wake up till the time you go to bed, count how many products you remove from packaging. Count it all--the sugar packets for your coffee, the coffee cup, the soda can, the cardboard box and plastic tray for your Lean Cuisine, chewing-gum foil.

Now take a look around your house at your electronics, everything from your 47-inch plasma to your pocket USB drive. They came in either plastic clamshells or cardboard with Styrofoam inserts. Remember that? Where are all those packages now?

According to the EPA, nearly one third of all consumer garbage that ends up in the municipal waste stream is product packaging. We love our packaging. It keeps our products safe from harm and contamination, makes things look prettier, and makes it easy to transport home from the store.

And it's not just the perception of safety and protection for the things we buy. There's also something about packaging that appeals to our Western sense of individualism. A pile of unwrapped items in a bargain bin--socks, food, toys, whatever--just seems so impersonal, so industrial, so third-world. But a shelf of products, each nestled in its own attractive, hermetically sealed package calls out to consumers from behind its shiny plastic display window. It says, "I am an individual. I am important. And you will be, too, if you buy me."

But look beyond consumer psychology. The fact is that all these nice packages are piling up in landfall, and fast. Other industries, such as food and beverage production (which creates the majority of packaging waste), have made significant progress in reducing their packaging. And outlets such as Whole Foods have announced they are banning plastic bags in New York City. In fact, New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is considering an all-out ban on free plastic bags in the city.

So what about the electronics and computer industries? To their credit, Apple and HP have announced initiatives to either reduce packaging or use more environmentally friendly materials. We also have to consider the retail stores at the end of the supply chain. I called five big-box electronics stores to find out if they had any initiatives in place to work with vendors to reduce packaging. My calls either went unanswered, or I was told there were no such initiatives in place.

With regard to electronics, a reality check has to happen. Because of the fragility or theft-prone nature of some electronics, they must be packaged to prevent damage or to be fitted with an anti-theft RFID sticker. Obviously you can't just dump a bunch of RAM modules or USB thumb drives (or anything with a screen that can become scratched) in a giant bin. But there has to be a better way than plastic clamshells. They don't recycle in most places, and you need a Sawzall to open the damn things. Does that mean we should just accept the status quo and keep tossing those clamshells?

Unfortunately, there aren't many practical ways to eliminate product packaging in electronics. You can make a little bit of difference, however. Carry your own reusable bag when you go shopping--even at Best Buy. Try to buy local instead of ordering online to conserve shipping materials. And make your voice heard. Tell the manager at your local retail outlet that you will continue to support the store if it works with manufacturers to support renewable packaging resources, such as plastics made from corn.

Also contact the corporate office at Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, Wal-Mart, and others in your town. And although your father will firmly advise you against it, consider buying a display model instead of the boxed version (probably most appropriate for TVs). You may even get a discount. Just make sure to ask the salesperson about how long it's been on the floor and whether warranty and return policies will still be honored.

Finally, write to your state representatives and ask them to support legislation to reduce product packaging.

Here are a few more resources to find out how you can make smart choices to reduce packaging:

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service

//Stay Connected

Get Product Reviews, Deals, & the Latest News from PCMag

sign up

Plus, get a free copy of PCMag for your iPhone or iPad today.

Offer valid for new PCMag app downloads only. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING!

Please follow this link (or search for the PC Magazine app on your iPad or iPhone) to get your free issue. Offer valid for new app downloads.